Bath 11 Biarritz 12: Nightmare at The Rec as victory is thrown away

The West Country side have only themselves to blame after a shocking piece of decision-making hands a priceless win to Biarritz

Michael Claassens scores an early try for Bath but Biarritz fought back to win (Stu Forster)

Question: you haven’t scored or threatened a try since scoring in the seventh
minute. Seventy-five minutes of the 80 have elapsed and – one man down and a
point behind – you have the option of a drop goal in front of the posts or
an attempt to score a try. Well, it isn’t really a question, is it.

There was only one option . . . and Bath decided not to take it. Olly Barkley
was in the pocket, presumably waiting for his scrum half Michael Claassens
to feed him the ball, but the South African switched the attack to the right
flank. The same right wing from which Matt Carraro had been removed in order
to keep a full quota of forwards on the pitch after Davie Wilson’s senseless
sin-binning five minutes earlier.

Eventually Biarritz’s impenetrable defence forced an error and last year’s
Heineken Cup finalists marched downfield and planted the ball in